Melissa Caddick: Bournda Beach campers shocked at gruesome find

The discovery of a missing businesswoman’s foot on a south coast beach more than 400km from where she was last seen has sent shockwaves through the community.

The macabre find of a missing Sydney conwoman’s foot at a south coast beach has shocked people at the sleepy campsite.

Melissa Caddick’s decomposing foot was found at Bournda Beach within Bournda National Park near Tathra, on Sunday by a group of young people on a surfing trip three months after she was reported missing from her Dover Heights home.

Camper John McLaren says people have been shocked after the decomposing foot of missing Sydney conwoman Melissa Caddick was found at Bournda Beach. Picture: Alasdair McDonald

Camper John McLaren said he saw a woman and three young men direct police to an Asics shoe on Sunday afternoon.

He said he then followed police to the beach where he saw people gathered around 300 metres from the end of the bush walking track.

“They didn’t seem shaken at all,” he said.

“The weather was rough, so there was a chance it would’ve washed up onto the beach.”

Another camper said the group were surfing at the beach, and after showing police the location of the foot, the woman with them resumed sunbathing.

The foot of missing businesswoman Melissa Caddick was found at Bournda Beach. Picture: Picture Robert Hayson

DNA testing has since confirmed the foot is that of missing conwoman Caddick, who disappeared from her Dover Heights home on November 11, 438km from the south coast beach.

The almost two kilometre long beach is popular with campers and beach walkers, and was the setting of the 1978 cult classic horror film Long Weekend.

Melissa Caddick was last seen in Dover Heights on November 11. Picture Facebook.

Local resident Melinda Ras said she didn’t notice anything suspicious while walking the beach on Sunday.

“It is really crazy,” she said.

“I’ve seen a few dead dolphins here but nothing like that.”

Wollongong camper Charlie Andrews said he had been following the Caddick case closely and was surprised her foot was found so far from Sydney.

Police on the scene when surfers found the decomposing foot of Melissa Caddick.

“It would’ve floated a long way in the current. I haven’t seen anything that looks like a body though while I’ve been walking along the beach.

“I guess maybe one day they will find the rest of her. When you swindle people things can turn ugly.”

Fellow camper Ron Alcorn from Taree was also shocked the find had been made so close to their scenic campsite just metres from Bournda Lagoon.

“You wouldn’t think it would float so far. You’d think if a foot floated that far then something would’ve eaten it.”

His wife Trish said she felt sorry for Ms Caddick’s “poor family” and her children.

Her friend Marion Smith said Ms Caddick’s dissapearance had had captured the imagination of the nation because of all of the theories surrounding her whereabouts.

“We don’t know the full story, but it seems like she stole to live a pretty shallow existence,” she said.